BRIDGEPORT -- Connecticut's economic future depends on turning around Bridgeport, state Senate Minority Leader John McKinney said. And he promises to focus on revitalization of the state's largest city if he becomes governor.

McKinney, a Fairfield resident who is campaigning for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in the Aug. 12 primary against Tom Foley, of Greenwich, told the editorial boards of Hearst Connecticut Media on Monday that big tax breaks would help bring companies back to Bridgeport.

"I think, as governor, that we have to bring a renewed sense of reviving this city," said McKinney, 50, a 16-year veteran of the Senate and the GOP leader for the last six years.

In a 100-minute meeting with the boards, McKinney discussed a wide range of issues, including the timing of the August primary, which he said was inconvenient for voters. He said he would work to change the date of future primaries to mid-June. He spoke about his opposition to the national Common Core education reforms and said that spending cuts are the way to the $1.4 billion in budget reductions that he would seek in his first year as governor.

With the construction of Bass Pro Shops providing some needed economic activity near Bridgeport Harbor, McKinney said the creation of tax-free enterprise zones would allow developers to focus resources on cleaning up contaminated plots of land called brownfields.

"I think, being realistic, most people will go to the Bass Pro Shops, do their shopping -- they may buy an elk burger when they're there -- then they get back in their car and go back where they came from," McKinney said. "The tax revenue generated there is helpful, but that's not economic revitalization. There just needs to be a renewed focus."

Better communication between state leaders and corporate executives, McKinney said, might also help the city.

"I absolutely think that governors can do a lot," he said.

Instead of offering $115 million in state funds to assist Westport-based Bridgewater Associates move to Stamford, as attempted by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, McKinney said resources might have been better spent to try to persuade Ray Dalio, the founder and CEO of the wildly successful hedge fund, to relocate to Bridgeport.

"You would have thought (Malloy) would have said `You know, Stamford's doing OK; how about Bridgeport?' " McKinney said. "I mean, I'll give you all the land you want. If it's brownfields, we'll clean it up. And we'll give you the keys and you don't have to pay anything. I absolutely think governors can do a lot."

McKinney said one of the reasons he chose David Walker, of Bridgeport, as his running mate for lieutenant governor for the primary is Walker's commitment to the city.

"I don't think we can turn Connecticut around if Bridgeport isn't turned around as well," McKinney said. "I don't mean to exclude other places that are doing poorly, but we've had so many candidates for governor -- even governors -- talk about what we're going to do for the cities, yet I don't think we've seen enough done for the cities."